Complicated In More Ways Than Just One
by A Little Birdie Tells Me
Summary: "It has been a year now since Sasuke, Naruto and the guys came to Konoha. We are still the same fun-loving and trouble-making gang though I can't say much for Sasuke-kun. Yes, he is Sasuke-kun now. And now that our lives have gotten tangled in more ways than one, life keeps getting a hell lot more complicated than the superficial high school drama. Sequel to Konoha Hell High School
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Naruto. Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto. This is purely Fanfiction and had been written for entertainment purposes only and without any intention of infringing upon any copyright. Also, smoking and consumption of alcohol or tobacco is injurious for the health. Thanks.

**A/N: **Hey there. Welcome to the _**sequel**_ of Konoha Hell High School. I realize that it doesn't have a proper ending like many of the readers may have wanted it to have (I'm guessing that readers want to read about Sasuke and Sakura actually 'getting together' than just reading hints about it). So I'm continuing the story, after a time gap of one year since the events of KHHS.

Hopefully you will find it as much as a good read as Konoha Hell High School, in fact, even a better one. I've put a lot of effort trying to make it as perfect as I could.

* * *

**Complicated In More Ways Than Just One**

_Chapter 1: Prologue_

* * *

Ino was already on a plane to Hawaii, Hinata and Neji were locked up at the Hyuga Mansion practicing some karate shit, Tenten was sick, I was too angry with Sai to call him, and Shikamaru was still asleep somewhere, I was sure. So that pretty much left me tagging along with Sasuke and Naruto another scorching afternoon, lounging at an ice-cream parlor at the food court outside the mall.

I was mid way through my strawberry sundae when Naruto suddenly jumped to his feet and declared, "I think we should have a name!" He was bouncing up and down, his blue eyes gleaming in excitement like a five year old.

Sasuke couldn't have been more uninterested. He didn't even bother to grunt. And I didn't know what Naruto meant.

"Huh?" I replied wisely.

"I think we should have a name!" He repeated still bouncing on his feet.

"Oh." I wasn't sure I understood.

Sasuke's monotonous voice was more helpful, "Dobe means that he wants to name the three of us."

"Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto nodded his head vigorously.

I was skeptical, "Why do you need to name us?"

Naruto then explained, "Look, we three have been hanging around the whole year. Like a gang or team or whatever! It is uncool if we don't come up with a name for our gang."

I wasn't sure I still understood him. Weren't we already a part of Konoha High's most notorious gang? Why did we have to make another separate gang for just the three of us? But I played along, seeing that Sasuke wasn't complaining.

"I support 'Ramen Kings'!"

"..."

"..."

We will let you guess for yourselves.

"You're retarded."

"Is NOT!"

"Is to."

"Na-uh!"

"Hn."

"I'm NOT retarded! You ARE!"

"Dobe."

"TEME!"

Glare.

Don't mind me if I had face palmed.

"How about Seven?" I drawled out in boredom, wishing that the two of them would just give up and shut up, because other than the girls from next table (actually the table next to that and the next and the next and... oh for the love of god, _all_ the tables) whose eyes were fixated on Sasuke from the very moment we've walked in, their loud voices was getting more attention than necessary.

"..."

"Seven? It's... AWESOME!"

"Hn."

I blinked stupidly, because seriously? I hadn't even suggested it as a suggestion! I wasn't eign serious, I just said it out of the blue to distract them... I couldn't decipher any meaning that the word 'seven' could attribute to us. We didn't have seven members in our 'gang' (Was that what Naruto called it?) nor were our lucky numbers seven... But Sasuke had said "Hn" and apparently, that decided everything. I rolled my eyes. In the end it was only me who disliked the name. But I gave up on dissuading them; after all they had their own band so they are sure to know more about naming groups than I do.

"Fine," I acquiesced against my better judgment.

And on that particular evening, at that particular moment, a particular crow chose to poop on a particular idiot's head.

"Caw-caw!"

"Look dobe, he's calling you a fool." And that was the closest I would ever find Sasuke openly laughing in public.

The entire parlor fell silent and paused to stare.

Sure I've witnesses Sasuke laughing a little once before, but that was only in my presence, and even then it wasn't so... carefree. Honestly, I don't think anyone has ever seen him smile properly, let alone laugh in public. Smirking was all that the Uchiha was ever capable of pulling off. One look at Naruto's equally amazed expression told me that even to him, who has known Sasuke for longer than anyone could remember, this moment was just as rare and precious as it was to me.

Slowly Naruto broke out in a wide grin, his azure eyes twinkling with all the joy in the world. Watching the two of them in wonder, I didn't even know when a smile tugged at my lips and before long I was laughing along with the two of them. Sasuke's laugh was the most pleasant sound that I'd ever heard and it made me want to hear him doing that again and again. A wishful wish, I know.

As our laughter died out, there was a moment of comfortable silence before hell broke over and screams erupted left and right and the fan girls went berserk and we had to run for our lives. And in that little moment the three of us took a look at each other and we knew that there was nothing that could tear us apart.

* * *

It has been a year now since Sasuke, Naruto and the guys came to Konoha. A lot has happened since then. For one, the rest of us has gotten so used to having them around, that we can't even remember _not_ having them around.

'_What was the reason again, that they moved here in the first place?'_ I keep wondering, but can't really remember.

'_Oh, well,'_ I shrug, _'whatever the reason, it had been for the best.'_

Because if it weren't for them, life wouldn't have turned out the way it has, that's for sure.

True, that everything has changed, but if you really think about it, we are, more or less, all still the same. We are still the same rebellious, fun-loving and trouble-making gang in Konoha High School. At least, Naruto and I are. I can't say much for Sasuke-kun.

Yes, he is Sasuke-kun now.

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *

**A/N:** You know the drill; reviews are appreciated, as always.

**A Little Birdie Tells Me.**


	2. In my shoes

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Naruto. Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto. This is purely Fanfiction and had been written for entertainment purposes only and without any intention of infringing upon any copyright. Also, smoking and consumption of alcohol or tobacco is injurious for the health. Thanks.

**A/N: **Again I would like to point out, not that I haven't pointed it out enough in the last chapter, this story takes place after a year since the events of KHHS. That's all, enjoy reading.

* * *

**Complicated In More Ways Than Just One**

_Chapter 2: In my shoes_

* * *

The summer holidays have begun today, and honestly, like always, I just wish school was back.

Because when I'm at school, I don't have to pretend to be like someone that I'm not; at school I can be myself and speak my mind. When I'm at school, I don't have to laugh or smile unless I feel like it; at school I can have fun and forget about all my pains. When I'm at school, I don't have to be around people I hate and pretend to like them; at school I can be around the people that I truly care about.

School is simply somewhere that I feel like I belong.

Things at home are as messed up as it were the moment that Mom walked out on us. I don't usually talk about home. Actually I never talk about it. The last time I talked about it was... Well, I practically blurted it out to a guy that I'd then, just met; Sasuke.

If you consider me a delinquent, which is a very popular term used by my teachers when it comes to describing me, you would think twice before calling me so once you have taken a look past the facade of the 'perfect family' that my family is usually careful to put on. Nothing has felt right in this house for a very long time.

My parents had gotten married young, fresh out of high school. I guess they should have waited and gotten to know each other better before taking such a big step which ultimately led to the great disaster that I have to live through every day. It seems when it comes to finding the perfect person with whom you want to spend the rest of your life, you can never be sure enough. If only they had been more sensible... Perhaps they should have listened to my grandparents who were hell-bent on tearing them apart, and gotten divorced before I was born. That would have saved me a hell lot of headaches and sorrows.

I can barely remember my mom. The glimpses that I catch in my dreams are either too hazy or gone too fast for me to get a good look at it. There aren't any pictures lying around the house either, my father had that taken care of. And I can't just go up to my father and ask him how mom looked like or whether she used to tuck us to bed every night or if she read us fairytales and kissed our boo-boos away.

There is of course, my brother whom I could perhaps ask.

But Sasori is never home. And no one can blame him for wanting a bit of fresh air for once in his life. This house holds more appalling memories for him than for me, given that he remembers everything that I can't.

He ran away a while back; in fact I have this vague idea that the only reason he lingered around so long in this awful place in the first place was because of me. I think the only reason why he even bothers to step into this hell-hole, or drop by Konoha from time to time, is because of me. He is the only one person who can even come close to understanding how it feels to be in my shoes.

But I never ask Sasori. Never have when he used to live in this house, and never do when he comes around for a visit. For the child who had been old enough to understand everything that went on, and to have everything marred in his memory, he has had it much worse than I could ever imagine. It's a much more touchy issue for him than it is for me. And it is impossible for me to knowingly strike him at his weakest point; not that it had stopped me from asking when I was much, much younger and didn't know any better.

When I was about five, in all my ignorance, I'd asked him why he didn't call the pretty lady who lived in our house for as far back as I could remember, 'mom' like I did. I don't think I'll never forget the look of pure rage that crossed his eyes and his face contorted in anguish much deeper than my innocent mind could comprehend.

For a moment I had been scared that he would hit me. But then, after what seemed like an eternity, Sasori had picked me up in his lap and slowly and patiently told me everything. It was one of the hardest things that he had ever done, even my young mind could tell by watching his trembling hands and unsteady voice. And it's as close as I've ever come to know about my real mom.

And it goes something like this...

After Sasori-nii was born, mom and father were finally happy, since our grandparents gave up on their schemes and accepted their marriage irritably. But by the time Sasori was eight and I was only three, everything went wrong. Father used to be always away for his business purposes, and by the time he began suspecting anything, it was far too late. One day father returned home from one of his trip to find Sasori and me all alone in the big house, starving and wailing. Mom was just gone; she had left us.

I had asked Sasori, just to be certain, "So mom just left us?"

He had shaken his head despondently and kept on looking blankly at the wall. After that he wouldn't speak to anyone for weeks.

I've always felt like there was more to it that he wasn't telling; because honestly, everything are just pieces of a fucked up jig-saw puzzle that doesn't even come close to falling into place. I don't remember it no matter how hard I try. But Sasori does and he obviously doesn't want to tell me about it.

What is he keeping from me, I want to know. What is so much worse than this that he won't tell me? But I don't consider it my place to push him, not yet anyways; maybe one day. There was more to the story, I just knew it.

But how much even Sasori actually knew of it, and just how much he kept from me, I have no way of knowing, because the mystery surrounding the disappearance of our mom is an issue just as off-limit to Konoha as under this roof. And to this day, what Sasori had told me, is all that I've ever come to know about our mom.

I sometimes wonder about our mom, especially during the long hours that I lay awake crying once father has had his way with me with the cane.

How did she look? Did she have the same pink hair as me? Or is my pink hair a birth defect like everyone thinks it is? Did mom have long hair that would blow all around her face when caught in the wind? Did mom cook us breakfast every morning or did we always have a cook to do it? Did mom ever love us even a little? What was so important that she had to leave us all behind? I mean if she did love us, why would she leave us here? Why didn't she take us with her? Did she even want us...?

These are questions that lurk in the deepest corner of my mind, but have no answer to them and probably never will. Oh, what I wouldn't do to have some answers...

I don't remember my mom or the time when I was three. My earliest memory is that of Sasori telling me the truth when I was five. The second memory that I can remember from around that time was the stinging pain of the cane when it contacted across my back for the very first time when I refused to call the horrible woman 'mom' in the following morning.

"She isn't my mom! Nii-san told me everything!" I had yelled, "So why should I call her 'mom'?"

That is one of the most vivid memories that linger in my mind. My father had fixed his stern gaze at me, but his lips pulled into a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes. His lips had twisted in an odd way, but he had simply commanded me to do as he said.

He repeated the words thrice and I refused all the three times, watching the smile slip off his lips and his eyes turn colder by the minute. He had rose to his feet and crossed the room in a few strides. I had simply looked up at him blankly, because then I'd no idea of the monster that my father had become under the finger of the woman.

That was the first time that my father struck me. Sasori says there were a few other instances before that as well, but they were very subtle as to not leave an impression on my young mind and heart. I'll never forget the throbbing pain on my cheek, as tears welled up in my eyes. He had then demanded to do as he said again, but when I wouldn't comply he had struck me again and again and again, until I felt my world go black.

And all the while that horrible woman had sat there; her legs crossed as watched us with a cruel little smile stretched on her lips, sipping at a glass of wine. It is this same woman that I've called 'mom' for the longest time, up until Sasori told me the truth (more like a part of the truth).

How could that woman have expected us to call her our mother, when she didn't even possess even the tiniest bit of the emotion towards us that a mother feels for her children? But then again, what knowledge of motherly love could I claim to have? My own blood mother had abandoned me!

My childhood was unstable like that for the longest time. Most of the time I felt like a caged bird, and neither my father nor my step mother, made it any easier for me.

Honestly, my brother was the one who inspired me to stand up for myself. The torment that Sasori went through under our father grew more and more evident to my innocent eyes as I grew up; and the way how he would refuse my father's ruthless demands aspired me to stand up for myself. But in the end, when it came to me, even if I didn't comply at first, I ended up obeying to our father's will after a couple of strikes. There was only so much pain that my tender body could take.

And then I would spend hours and hours locked up in my room, bawling my eyes out. It would always be Sasori who would come up to me and take me in his arms, and sit there just holding onto me, letting me cry my eyes out. I would then run out of tears and hung my head low and apologies to him for letting father walk all over me. Sasori would smile softly and make me look up to him and say that I'm the bravest girl that he ever saw.

I had once asked him if he thought I was even braver than our mom, and regretted ever asking it instantly. His eyes had darkened immediately and his smile faded a little, but he managed to give a shaky nod at me and then once again enveloped me in a gentle hug.

That was the one time that I'd ever seen him cry, and that was the only time that I felt like our roles had reversed and quietly held onto him as long as he needed; just like he was always doing for me. I never asked him that question again, or anything else concerning our mother again. It put him through a pain far worse than I could ever comprehend.

If Haruno Sasori's willpower inspired me to stand up for myself, Yamanaka Ino was the one who really taught me to stand up for myself.

In kindergarten I would just shuffle around, trying to go as much unnoticed as it was possible, keeping to myself always. But with pink hair and a wide forehead as the one I've, that was just the last thing that could happen to me. People picked on me, and the more I shied away from everyone, the more they bullied me.

Things were already messed up at home; even when I was at school, I was always struggling with the thoughts of my father and his promising cane and the indecisions about whether I should listen to him the next time or not... I was far too caught up with the mental struggles of getting rid of the deathly grip that my father had over me, to stand up at my bullies.

I thought if I let them walk all over me for some time, they were bound to get bored after a while and just leave me be; alone, just like I wanted to be.

Until one day Yamanaka Ino came along.

* * *

**-Flashback-**

**Little me was sitting on a swing at the Academy playground. The sun was setting against the horizon. **

**I whimpered at the pain from my broken ribs. It hurt to as much as breathe. I tried to keep breathing in even through the twinge that shot up every time that I did. **

'_**Why is my father like this? Why does he hurt us so much?'**_** I couldn't help but think about it, **_**'I have seen him hurting nii-san too, but nii-san is so brave! He doesn't cry like I do, or give up and beg for father to stop after a while like I do. He always stands his ground and takes whatever that comes his way, like the brave princes that I am always reading about in my story books.'**_

**In the morning father had again hurt me, and even after I had given in, he had struck out his foot at my chest. I had remained sprawling on the cold ground, watching through half-lidded eyes as he and the woman sauntered out of the room; leaving me all alone to suffer. **

**I had eventually picked myself up and walked alone to school. I couldn't miss school, or else the teacher would call at home and that would get me into more trouble. **

**I realized that I should have just remained back home; it was starting to hurt even more than before. I decided to go to the school nurse, slowly conjuring up a convincing story in my head about how I got such a nasty boo-boo in the first place.**

**But before I could get up two shadows fell over me. I looked up in fear.**

**"Look, look who do we have here. If it isn't our pinky." The other person laughed.**

**I felt tears threatening to fall out of my eyes. I knew they would hurt me; they always did. I always wondered why they always only bullied me. I always kept out of their way, yet they always somehow found me to pick on me. **

'_**Is it because I have no one to take care of me? Do they know that no one would care if they hurt me?'**_

**"So what do you think we should do to her today?" One of them was saying in a playful voice; like this was all a game. **

"**Oh I know!" Another whispered wickedly.**

**I closed my eyes; they were going to hurt me again. But the impact never came; I opened my eyes and blinked.**

**There stood a blonde girl in front of me, her hands spread out in an act of protecting me. She seemed pissed, "Leave her alone! If I ever see you near her..."**

**This seemed to frighten the bullies as they ran away in a hurry. I looked at the blond girl in awe. She turned around to face me. She had the prettiest baby blue eyes that I had ever seen. **

**The girl smiled at me, "Hi! I am Yamanaka Ino!"**

**I already knew what her name was; I have seen her before with the Nara and Akimichi boys. They were in the same class as me. But I shied away. **

**Ino laughed and then offered a hand to me this time and repeated, "Hi, I'm Yamanaka Ino."**

**This time I shyly accepted the hand and stuttered, "I'm Ha-Haruno Sakura, thanks for helping me, Ya-Yamanaka-san."**

**She laughed, "That's what friends are for!"**

**I was shocked, "Fr-friends?" I squeaked.**

**Ino pursed her lips and nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, friends."**

**This was the first time someone had ever wanted to be my friend. Not bully me, not beat me, but wanted to be my friend. **

**Someone called Ino from somewhere far away and she ran forward waving, before pausing and looking back at me, still frozen to the spot, "Come on, Forehead! You look all beaten up, my mom will take a look at you."**

**I smiled slowly. I didn't feel alone anymore. For some reason I didn't mind if Ino called me 'forehead'. **

**-End of Flashback-**

* * *

Ever since meeting Ino, life has been a tad bit brighter than before. Even if I was getting beaten up at night, I knew in the morning Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji, who had also become very good friends of mine just as soon as I met Ino, would be waiting outside my house so that we could all walk to school together.

We would sit together during lunch, and play together. Sometimes Kiba and his cute little puppy, Akamaru would join us. Then again we would walk back home together. For the first time in life, I had friends.

And it felt surreal.

Then bit by bit life improved in the littlest ways possible. I met Hinata, whose father was also strict, although I doubted he was anywhere near as much as strict as my father. And Tenten didn't have parents at all; they had died in a car accident when she was younger. I could relate to Hinata's lack of freedom, and even more so to Tenten's lack of parental love.

And slowly, bit by bit, I learned to stand up for myself and say no to my father. I began to spend more time with my new friends and enjoy as much as possible, knowing that once I returned to the dreadful place that I call home at the end of the day, the memories of the day that I had spent with the company of such wonderful friends would be all that kept me going and taking on every blow that came from my father's as promising cane as ever.

* * *

**-Flashback-**

"**Sakura-chan!" I watched Chouji through my window, waving a chubby hand at me from below as he munched on his potato-chips non-stop. Ino grinned at me and signaled me to come down while nudging the bored Nara-genius, making him raise a lazy hand at me. **

**My heart thumped and for a moment I was too caught up at the sight of having them standing in my lawn, waiting for me. It felt so... Ino's impatient yell made me retreat from the window and bound down the stairs as fast as my little legs would allow me. **

"**Going somewhere, Sakura?" The sound of the cold voice that I dreaded every waking moment rang out. I jerked to a halt at the foot of the staircase.**

"**Y-Yes," my voice broke, and I flinched from the sharp look that father sent my way. **

"**Have you finished your homework?" He asked sternly. **

"**Yes," I replied without hesitation, a rare sense of hope creeping up to me. I took a peek at father, trying to discern where this conversation was going. **

'_**Maybe he'll let me go play with them since I've already completed my homework,'**_** I didn't dare hope. For the longest moment my beating heart was the only noise in the eerie, cold silence.**

"**I see," Father paused for a moment before asking, "And what about cleaning your room? Did you put away all your toys and books to where they belong?"**

**My face fell and my heart skipped a beat, "N-No," I muttered, the stinging in my eyes warned me of the upcoming waterworks. I could hear Ino's loud voice coming from outside the door; I glanced at the door longingly...**

**Father walked up to me at a rapid pace, the back of his hand raised to strike.**

**SLAP.**

**I cracked open my eyes and looked up at the shadow towering over me. Sasori-nii had again taken the blow for me. **

'_**Is this the thousandth eighty-seventh time or the thousandth eighty-eighth time that he has done so?'**_** I realized I'd lost count. **

**The tears that I'd kept at bay previously, came pouring down my cheeks. I wanted to run to Sasori-nii but my leg seemed to be rooted to the spot. **

'_**Move, move, MOVE!'**_** I yelled in my mind, but it was of no use. **

**But Sasori-nii didn't need me to help him. He was alright. He was always taking hit from father, his own share and mine whenever he could. I didn't want him to do this for me. I didn't want him to protect me like he always did... I wanted to learn to stand up to father by myself; take the blows that came my way bravely, just like nii-san always did.**

**I glanced at father who was panting slightly from the corner of my eyes. He looked livid. **

'_**Oh, Sasori-nii what've you done?'**_** My mind screamed in anguish at the impending pain coming my brother's way. I didn't want him to get hurt... Nii-san was always protecting me, and for once I wanted to be the one to protect him instead. But my wretched legs were rooted to the ground, I couldn't get to move them.**

"**HOW DARE YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Father roared, almost running towards Sasori-nii and hitting him and punching him and kicking him and hitting him over and over again. Nii-san didn't counter but took everything that came his way, slumping down to the ground at one point.**

"**Nii-san!" I squeaked, terrified. My heart felt like it would tear out my chest any moment. And suddenly I found the will to move my feet and go rushing to my brother's side. Nii-san was sitting up as I sank to my knees beside him. I could see every muscle in his body protesting to the movement.**

"**Nii-san?" My voice shook in fright. I couldn't breathe. But he wouldn't look my way. He sat on the ground, never tearing his gaze away from father's maddened ones. **

**I watched him gulp and then say hoarsely, "Go on, Saki. Go and play with your friends." **

**I stepped closer to him, gripping as hard as I could on his shirt and shook my head vigorously, "No! No! No! I won't go! I won't leave you on your own!"**

"**Go on, Sakura." He sounded all serious, like he really meant it. **

**I shook my head, sniffing loudly and looked at him pleadingly, "Nii-san..."**

**But he wouldn't hear it. He pushed me off him just as a chair was hurled at him. Sasori managed to move out of the way, the chair crashing into a glass-cabinet behind him.**

"**NII-SAN!" I shrieked and tried to get up to my feet. **

"**GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE, SAKURA!" Sasori bellowed at me, "NOW!"**

**I don't know what it was, but something in his voice made me stop and then slowly turn around and make a run towards the door; perhaps because Sasori never called me by my whole name. I took one last glance over my shoulder, and shuddered before pushing the door open and bounding out of the door.**

**I hastily dried my eyes and wiped my face with the hem of my frock and shut the door as quickly as I could; it didn't want my friends to see what went on beyond that door.**

"**Forehead!" Ino came running towards me, her eyebrows pulled into a frown, "Is everything alright?"**

**I swallowed and smiled as convincingly as I could, "Of course it is," pretending to be surprised by her query, "Why do you ask?"**

**Ino contemplated and shot a quick look at the two boys lagging behind her, their eyes mirrored her worried ones.**

"**We thought we heard... Well, never mind if you're sure that you're alright."**

"**Everything is just perfect," I lied. **

**-End of Flashback-**

* * *

Under a roof where every step that I take is considered as another mistake, it is easy to fall prey to the outside world and love it more than my own family.

So in a few years Ino's family was like a family that I never had. Hinata, Tenten, Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba were all like my brothers and sisters. School was my freedom, the only place that I felt like I was alive. And it was all I ever wanted; to have the acceptance that I didn't have at my own house, to taste freedom from the control that my father had over me- actually from any kind of control, hence, the rule-breaking tendency that I've grown over time; to enjoy life for a change.

Until, a year ago.

Now I'm not very sure about what I _really_ want.

Maybe I do, but am too stubborn to admit it.

Oh, I don't know!

It has been a year now since Sasuke, Naruto and the guys came to Konoha. A lot has happened since then. For one, the rest of us has gotten so used to having them around, that we can't even remember _not_ having them around.

'_What was the reason again, that they moved here in the first place?'_ I keep wondering, but can't really remember.

'_Oh, well,'_ I shrug, _'whatever the reason, it had been for the best.'_

Because if it weren't for them, life wouldn't have turned out the way it has, that's for sure. And I certainly wouldn't be beating myself about what I want for myself. I would probably have utilized this time to make another fool-proof plan to sneak out of this place that I call home.

Now, you may be wondering who the hell I'm. Well, that's much easier than the things I've been telling you so far. I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm almost seventeen and am looking forward to my eighteenth birthday when I can finally leave all these behind and live life like I will.

Except that I can't decide on what exactly it is that I want; I've been at it for hours!

I go to Konoha High School and am quite popular up there. Everyone knows me there; Haruno Sakura the school prankster. The teachers at KHHS have spent half their life chasing me around and brain storming on the various detentions they could give me, but there are few like Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-sama, the principal who could care less about which wall we victimize with our mediocre graffiti skills or which class we bunk.

But last year there came along a group of people in our lives. Namely Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji. And life has been practically a blast since then. Especially with Naruto; ever since he came, teachers can no longer decide whom to punish anymore- Naruto or me- so they just punish us both. And there is Ino, Tenten and Hinata too. After a long time, things are looking quite good. And now I'm thinking that every ease brings along hardships with it...

Like the hardship of thinking and thinking and _still_ not finding any answer to my inner dilemma of what I really want in life! It's torture I tell you. But I don't have anything better to do for a while. I'm all alone at home, dawdling around in boredom, might as well get some thinking done.

Ino is halfway across the globe spending some mother-daughter time with Mrs. Yamanaka in Hawaii. Hinata and Neji are locked up at the Hyuga Mansion practicing some karate shit and probably will be doing that, God forbid, for the whole summer long. Tenten's sickness turned out to be the flu so I can't go over at her place. Naruto is at summer school, hopefully pulling some top notch pranks and making me proud. Shikamaru is asleep somewhere, I'm sure. I'm too angry with Sai to call him; he can be such a prick sometimes! Just like his cousin, Sasuke, can also be sometimes. Scratch that, most of the time.

But he is Sasuke-kun now.

And when we aren't indulging in pure high-school drama, we are getting to know each other better.

However, everything is not as it seems; especially the things that go on behind the scenes, under the roofs and beyond closed doors. And now that our lives have gotten all tangled, we will soon find out that, things are a lot complicated in more ways than just one.

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *

**A/N:** _**(VERY IMPORTANT)**_ People who have read KHHS should know that I've decided to make this story go through some _**MAJOR**_ modifications. Why? Because I felt like it, and well, trust me, it is better this way. So the readers who are confused about facts changing just like that, don't sweat. I'll make things make sense by the end of the story, I promise.

**A Little Birdie Tells Me. **


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